Donald G. Schoffstall

Benefits and Challenges Encountered by Working Students

The purpose of this study was to determine both the positive and negative aspects of work experiences impacting hospitality students while completing their academic degrees. A nationwide sample of senior-level hospitality students and hospitality graduates from 31 leading programs participated in this survey research. The students and graduates identified their educational experiences and common types of work experiences, as well as the impact of these experiences on their academic performance, advancement expectations, and career preparation. Statistically significant differences were found between students and graduates, providing a foundation for understanding overall work experiences and the benefits and challenges faced by students.

Hospitality students’ work experiences and an examination of their perceptions of the future

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to compare perceptions of work experience while in college between hospitality students and hospitality graduates and to examine differences among their work experiences and perceptions of a professional future. Senior level students and graduates from hospitality programs across the United States participated in the study. Study results showed that 50% of current hospitality students work 21 or more hours per week, while more than 10% worked 40 or more hours per week; both students and graduates perceive their work experiences positively. Both students and graduates rated work experience highest in importance when interviewing for industry jobs.

A Profile of Hospitality Program Characteristics and the Gender Composition of Students and Faculty

This exploratory study established the gender composition of hospitality programs and compared program characteristics to provide a foundation for future research in various areas. A nationwide assessment of 136 hospitality programs throughout the United States was undertaken, with more than 65% of directors and chairs contributing specific information about their undergraduate gender populations. Results from this exploratory study highlight the current gender composition of undergraduate students (66.7% female) and faculty (39.6% female) and provide a comparison of key program characteristics, including credit hours and work experience requirements. Specific suggestions are made that could support planning efforts and foster educationally based or related research ideas in the future.

Hospitality and Tourism Education and Industry Certifications

This exploratory study investigated hospitality educators’ perceptions and use of industry-related certifications in hospitality education. Overall, respondents believed that certifications are important for their students, but their perceptions of the benefits and value of certifications varied. Results include information on educators’ views about the types of certifications offered; beliefs regarding the reasons to earn certifications; and beliefs about how certifications relate to their own students, schools, and countries. Educators’ insights into some of the possible issues involving certification are also provided. Suggestions are made for enhancing the use of certifications in hospitality education, and limitations and ideas for further research are presented.

Perceptions of Ethical Issues in Hospitality and Tourism Research

ABSTRACT In hospitality and tourism research, little is known about faculty members’ and graduate students’ perceptions of ethics. This study examined those perceptions to investigate how these groups have witnessed unethical behavior and their perceptions of ethics in research. Results showed that assigning authorship appears as an ethical issue for both faculty and graduate students, whereas plagiarism, as may be expected, was reported in work conducted by graduate students more than in work conducted by faculty members. Based on the findings of the study, implications and recommendations regarding ethical issues in hospitality and tourism research are provided.

Hospitality Faculty Mentoring Program for Assistant Professors

ABSTRACT Assistant professors will be the staple of future hospitality programs within academia. Given that most tenure-track professors being older than age 50, colleges and universities acknowledge that attrition might have a significant impact on future academic learning environments. Many hospitality programs have devised current mentorship programs to assist tenure-track assistant professors during their maturation process to associate professor. The conundrum lies in knowing what constitutes an effective mentorship program, especially when there is no notable research on mentorship programs within the hospitality academy. A phenomenological study was used to explore the lived experiences of 8 tenure-track and tenured faculty members within the hospitality academy. Results indicated that leadership traits were synonymous with servant leadership, which prompts the need for a new model for mentoring hospitality faculty.

First-year hospitality students: an exploration into their background and the initial importance of career success aspects

ABSTRACT Students enter college each year with a variety of different backgrounds and experiences. This study explored first-year hospitality students in an attempt to better understand their background and the initial importance of career success factors. Regardless of entry-level status, students rated themselves positively on key industry useful skills. Students also showed differences in their perceptions of how recruiters may view the usefulness of these skills, though major differences did not occur based on the students’ work experience background.

Exploring followership in hospitality and tourism education

Leadership has been the focus of much study, but the consideration of the concepts involved in following leaders, or in what has been termed followership, is relatively rare (e.g. Bjugstad, Thach, Thompson, & Morris, 2006; Brum & Drury, 2013; Testa, 2000). Furthermore, it is even more uncommon as the subject of studies in the field of hospitality and tourism. However, in spite of this lack of attention, followership is viewed as essential to the management and organization of groups. Moreover, it is critical at all levels of an organization, especially with respect to the relationships between employers and employees (Bjugstad et al., 2006). The term followership may be defined as the practices that occur and evolve between leaders and followers, allowing followers to function with leaders to achieve shared goals while demonstrating teamwork and building interconnections (Colangelo, 2000; Kelley, 2004). Additionally, while followership is significant in all kinds of organizations and operations, it is particularly important in hospitality and tourism organizations and operations. In the hospitality and tourism industry, service is vital to success and groups of employees must work effectively together to make and serve food, provide lodging operations around the clock, and plan and conduct events in a well-timed, suitable manner. Knowing more about what stakeholders in hospitality and tourism education believe about followership would be useful for instructors and students, for arguably being an effective follower is important in ones career in the hospitality and tourism industry. Therefore, this study explored followership in the discipline of hospitality and tourism. The purpose of this qualitative study was to learn more about what hospitality and tourism students, educators, and industry professionals think about followership by investigating their personal views of followership in the field of hospitality and tourism, with the goal of guiding further research and education in this area.

Hospitality and tourism student and alumni perspectives: promotion expectations, academic and experience adjustments, and career growth

ABSTRACT Preparing qualified graduates for the tourism and hospitality industry who will stay and achieve promotional success is paramount. The objectives of this research project were to determine promotional advancement expectations and strategies to improve promotional opportunities. Two separate questionnaires, with both open and close-ended questions, were sent to upper classmen/women in hospitality and tourism programs and alumni of the same programs. In total, 717 (409 students and 308 alumni) completed the questionnaires. Chi-square tests were run to determine differences between student and alumni responses. To assist in analysis of open-ended responses, Atlas.ti was used. There was a statistically significant difference between students and alumni responses in regards to promotional expectations; students expected it to take a significantly longer time to receive a promotion to supervisor or manager than alumni. Overall, students and alumni indicated strategies such as more real-world-focused courses with hands-on experiences.

What does it mean to follow? An exploration of a followership profile in hospitality and tourism

ABSTRACT Although leadership has received considerable attention from many scholars, much less research has focused on those who follow leaders; yet, followers contribute much to the success of an organization. This study explored the followership profiles of stakeholders in hospitality and tourism education. The findings summarize the followership dimensions of a sample of hospitality students, educators, and industry professionals. For each of the five followership dimensions the mean scores for industry professionals were rated higher when compared with students and educators, with courage to participate in transformation being the highest rated among all three groups. Implications for hospitality education are presented.